FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Throughout the jury selection process for the Sievers murder trial, we've seen a lot of emotional reactions from potential jurors. So we spoke with a psychotherapist about this and she broke down the lasting mental affects this can have on people.
As the judge, prosecution, and defense work to fill the juror seats in the trial of Jimmy Rodgers for the murder of Teresa Sievers, we're hearing more about the emotional reactions potential jurors are having to the case.
Our reporter in the courtroom says one woman got emotional talking about the case, remembering what she's seen about it on the news.
"This is traumatic for somebody that hasn't even been through a trauma. To hear something like this and actually be involved in it," says psychotherapist Ashley Depalma.
She tells Fox 4 that it's not just hearing about the details of the case. “To be involved in changing the course of somebody's life and the lives of people involved with them."
In fact, a man told the judge he had a sleepless night thinking about how he could have someone else's life in his hands.
"It's especially difficult for people who have already been through trauma themselves, and this could again reignite their own trauma symptoms and bring back those memories and feelings that they have to deal with or haven't finished dealing with," says Depalma.
One woman brought in for jury selection was crying, saying the nature of the case is giving her stress and anxiety.
"I will note for the record, you are very visibly upset, and my apologies, because like I told you, you all come to the table with your own life experiences, and some of us there are certain cases we are not cut out to be on," said Judge Kyle last week.
“You don't have to be directly exposed to a trauma to be traumatized by something," says Depalma.
And often times, she says people who do serve on juries for cases like this end up feeling lasting effects from it. “Trauma symptoms can be anything from depression, to sleepless nights, to avoidance, to difficulty with relationships."
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